


proud to be with you

by what_a_gust



Series: t6t [3]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, Pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-11 03:04:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19524121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_a_gust/pseuds/what_a_gust
Summary: a t6t au pride one-shot





	proud to be with you

**Author's Note:**

> don't read yet if you want to avoid t6t /spoilers/ :)

Pride feels a little bit different, a little bit better, this year. Christen is the happiest she’s ever been and she has Tobin to thank for that. They’ve been together, officially, for seven months by the time Pride rolls around and she can’t wait to celebrate.

Over the course of the month, they make a habit of going to as many events as they can. It’s not like they feel unsafe being together during the rest of the year but there’s something undeniable about the comfort of being in a queer space that they both really appreciate. They don’t have to think about it at all, they can just be.

\--

Though they have plenty of fun at the concerts and karaoke nights, they’re most looking forward to the parade. They buy white scrubs and send a rare gloomy afternoon tie-dying them on the floor of their bathroom. Tobin makes hers a vivid rainbow and tries to get Christen to match but Christen insists on sticking with blue, purple, and pink, wanting to stay true to herself.

Tobin buys herself rainbow chacos that she promises she’ll wear again after the parade. Christen decides to wear her favorite birks – Tobin teases her about how gay they are but Christen just rolls her eyes and reminds her that she’s bi. (Tobin doesn’t hesitate to give her usual retort that being bi does not preclude one from doing gay things.)

\--

The morning of the parade, they wake up early with excitement. Tobin makes them breakfast while is on the phone with Channing, who happens to be traveling in Thailand. Once they’ve had their fill, they stuff their fanny-packs with all of the essentials – water bottles, sunscreen, and emergency snacks – and then they head down toward the F train that’ll take them across town to the parade.

The parade isn’t scheduled to depart until the early afternoon but they claim a spot for themselves by 10:30, wanting to be sure they’ll have a good view. Luckily, the scaffolding that they’re standing underneath provides a bit of shade because the sun is already beaming down and it’s clear that the day is only going to get hotter.

By the time the parade is getting ready to begin, they’re really sweaty and Tobin has “cuffed” the pants of her scrubs so that they’re above her knees and Christen has tied a knot in her shirt so that her midriff is exposed.

Just as Tobin is starting to get restless, they hear a loud whistle followed by the pop of a huge confetti canister and flecks of colored paper fall around them. Tobin crouches down to scoop some of the confetti up so that she can dump it on Christen when she feels someone bump against her shoulder. She stands up and turns around to see a little girl, who couldn’t be more than 8 years old, looking very nervous and apologetic. She looks past the girl and sees a woman who appears to be her mother. The mom is holding a toddler and trying to keep an eye on the girl without subjecting the toddler to the dense crowd around the barricade.

As much as the girl looks nervous, she’s buzzing with an excitement that Tobin can’t help but notice. “Do you want me to put her on my shoulders so she can see?” She asks the mother, not wanting to overstep.

The mother looks surprised, “Oh, would you? Is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” Tobin beams, happy to be able to help. She hands the flag she was holding and the beads from around her neck to Christen with a wink and then crouches down to address the girl. “Do you want to go on my back or my shoulders? Either is fine.”

The little girl seems a bit awestruck at the prospect of either and the mother cuts in, “I’m not sure about your shoulders, that seems a little high. Maybe just your back?”

“Sure thing,” she nods and then turns back to the girl and pats her own shoulders, “Put your arms here so I can grab your legs.”

As the girl leans into her she mumbles, “I’ve never done one of these before.” At first, Tobin thinks it’s about the parade but then, as she stands up with the girl on her back, it dawns on her that she means she’s never had a piggyback ride before. Tobin’s heart breaks a little bit as she instructs the girl to wrap her legs around her waist, instead of keeping them straight down her back like she had been doing.

The parade begins and the Dykes on Bikes at the start of the march rev their engines, encouraging everyone to cheer. Tobin yells as loud as she can and hears the girl on her back join in.

Christen moves closer and links her arm through Tobin’s and starts to rest her head on her shoulder but thinks better of it, wanting to be close to Tobin, but without invading the girl’s personal space.

After almost an hour of watching floats and dancers and marching bands go by, Tobin’s knees are starting to lock and her legs are getting a little shaky. The girl seems to notice and offers, “You could put me down now? If you’re tired?”

“Oh, would that be okay? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Tobin crouches down again to let her off and the girl goes quickly back to her mom.

“What do you say?”

The girl turns around and looks at Tobin bashfully, “Thank you.”

“Of course, have a fun rest of your day!”

The mom smiles at Tobin again and then leads her daughter toward the edge of the crowd and out of sight.

Tobin turns back around to face the parade but stops short when she sees Christen looking at her almost as if she’s in a daze. “What?”

Christen reaches out for Tobin’s hand and laces their fingers together, letting their hands hang between them, “Never in my life have I seen a child smile the way you made that little girl smile when you put her on your back. You’re really something special, Tobin Heath. That child is going to get to look back on such a happy memory for the rest of her life because of you.”

“I just wanted her to be able to see,” Tobin points out, not really seeing how it’s a big deal.

Christen places a gentle kiss on her cheek and then whispers in her ear, “That’s why I love you. You have such a big heart.”

Tobin pulls Christen into her chest and they rock back and forth for a moment, enjoying their bubble within the chaos of the crowd.

\--

As much as Pride is important with the big crowds and the celebration and the acknowledgement of how far things have come and how much work there still is to be done, it’s so much more important, Tobin thinks, to feel loved. And this year, she finally does.


End file.
